This invention relates generally to sporting accessories, and more particularly to an auxiliary sole apparatus attachable to an Alpine ski boot for aiding the wearer in walking.
In Alpine or downhill skiing, it is customary to provide a ski boot which has a relatively flat, rigid and inflexible sole. Moreover, these boots generally are designed to surroundingly engage the ankle of the wearer so as the discourage the normal heel-to-toe walking motion. This is, the boot is generally designed to provide a rather rigid ankle support. Consequently, normal walking while wearing such boots is relatively difficult and uncomfortable.
In the normal course of ski activity, however, there are many instances in which the skier will wish to remove his skis in order to walk, while still wearing these ski boots.
Prior art devices for this purpose have not heretofore addressed several of the problems encountered in the practical use of such a walking accessory. For example, it is desirable to approximate the normal heel-to-toe motion of the foot in walking, in order to provide a reasonably comfortable gait when utilizing the walking accessory on a ski boot. Additionally, it is desirable that the device be relatively simple to both apply to and remove from the ski boot, but remain reliably in place once attached or applied for walking purposes.
Moreover, the provision of ready and simple adjustability of such an apparatus to accommodate ski boots of different sizes and configurations is a desirable feature not found in many prior art devices. Some consideration also needs to be given to the ease of storage and transport of the device while the wearer is skiing or when the device otherwise is not in use.
In addition to the foregoing, it is also desirable that such a device be relatively simple in design and comprise as few parts as possible so as to be relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, as well as being relatively easy to use.